Seattle Orcas

The Seattle Orcas are an American professional Twenty20 cricket team that competes in Major League Cricket (MLC). The team is based in Seattle, Washington and was announced in 2023 as one of six inaugural franchises to play in Major League Cricket. The Seattle Orcas are owned by an investor group including Satya Nadella, Soma Somasegar, Samir Bodas, Ashok Krishnamurthi, and Sanjay Parthasarathy – and the GMR Group. The Orcas have a minor league affiliate called the Seattle Thunderbolts, who play in Minor League Cricket and were the 2022 champions.

The team plans to have their home ground at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington. The park's cricket ground is set to have a capacity of up to 6,000 people once it is completed around 2025. The team is coached by former Indian cricketer Pravin Amre.

History

Background

In November 2021, the Bellevue City Council passed a resolution to support further research into the cost and feasibility for a cricket facility in Seattle. This was followed by a similar resolution that the Redmond City Council adopted in January 2022. A motion of support to develop a cricket facility in Marymoor Park was then passed by King County in February 2022. In May 2022, Major League Cricket announced that Somasegar and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella were among some of the lead investors launching Major League Cricket in the U.S.

In March 2023, MLC unveiled the team ownership, name, and logo prior to the inaugural MLC domestic draft. It was also announced that the team would partner with the GMR Group, who co-owns the Delhi Capitals of the Indian Premier League. Co-owner Somasegar stated that the Orcas name and colors "pay tribute to our local community f Seattlethat has helped build that spirit of support". On May 27, 2023, it was revealed that the Orcas had revamped their logo to emphasize its focus on cricket.

2023 season

Prior to the launch of the official season, it was announced the MLC's inaugural domestic draft would take place on March 19, 2023. The Orcas' had the first pick of the draft and selected Thunderbolts captain Harmeet Singh as their first overall draft pick, before adding the likes of Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Perera, and Shubham Ranjane in later draft selections. In addition, Mitchell Marsh and Quinton de Kock were announced as some of the team's overseas signings during the draft. Over the following months, several more overseas signings occurred, including the signings of Wayne Parnell, Dasun Shanaka, and Heinrich Klaasen – amongst others.

The team also announced their lineup of support staff, with Johan Botha coming onboard as the team's bowling coach, Ross Taylor as the team's batting coach, Pravin Amre as the team's head coach, and Jarrod Harkness as the team analyst.

Prior to the start of the season, Mitchell Marsh and Sikandar Raza – who were both included in the Orcas squad – withdrew from MLC due to it clashing with other tournaments such as the Ashes and the Zim Afro T10.

In the start to their inaugural campaign, the Orcas' went top of the table by recording a 5-wicket win over the Washington Freedom, a 35-run win over the San Francisco Unicorns, and an 8-wicket win over the Texas Super Kings. The Orcas' winning streak was snapped, however, during a 2-wicket defeat to the Los Angeles Knight Riders. A 2-wicket win over MI New York assured the Orcas' a first-place finish going into the finals nevertheless.

Current squad

* Players with international caps are listed in bold.

References

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Sports clubs and teams in Seattle
GMR Group
Major League Cricket teams
2023 establishments in Washington (state)
Cricket clubs established in 2023
Redmond, Washington